One of the most important decision a service member can make prior to deployment is the selection of a financial institution. Selecting a good financial institution is very important as there are many things to consider relating to financial transaction during your deployment. Some things to consider include, ease of use, the ability to make wire transfer and accessing your bank account online just to name a few things.
It is important that you shop around for a financial institution that knows how the military functions and if possible provides benefits for servicemembers at reduced cost. There are quite a few such financial institutions out there. In my book I give examples of what to look for in selecting a financial institution to handle not only your financial matters and transactions but other money matters as well. These may include personal and property insurance as well as investing and setting up a brokerage account.
You will be certain to find ways to save money after reading the section of my book titled Selecting a Financial Institution. I will also give you my top pick!
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Monday, December 20, 2010
The Importance of a Good Family Care Plan
The sequence of events on September 11, 2001 changed America forever. On this day, The United States of America lost its innocence. The land of the free was no longer as free as it once was. Open and free travel no longer seemed as open and free following the September 11 terrorist attacks. Subsequently, America soon found itself at war with Iraq and Afghanistan. The number of service members needed to adequately fight this war was tremendous. The number of service members on active duty was not enough to engage in effective combat. As such, the burden to pick up the slack fell upon the Reserve and National Guard forces of our military. Not in recent memory has there been a greater number of service members deployed conus or oconus. From a military development standpoint, the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan provoked the number of deployments to grow substantially. Since September 11, 2001, over 1.7 million service members have been deployed in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) and Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). Operation Enduring Freedom’s military focus is on securing the nation of Afghanistan, while as its name suggest, Operation Iraqi Freedom is concerned with securing the nation of Iraq. In addition to the service members deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan, thousands of service members were deployed to Kuwait and Qatar in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom. Moreover, tens of thousands service members were deployed in support of contingency operations around the world.
So what happens when you receive your "orders" to go? Generally speaking your Unit, if you are deploying as a unit, will receive unit orders informing the Command that their unit will be deploying. If on the other hand you are an individual deployer as I was, you could receive your initial order via a phone call followed by orders requesting that you report for active duty. The amount of notice given to a service member ranges anywhere from several months in advance to only several days prior to the date ordered to active duty. I received my orders only three weeks before my scheduled day to report for duty.
There have been millions of Americans deployed to war zones around the world since this great country was founded over 230 years ago, however, recently it appears that many soldiers are deploying in greater frequency then ever before. In addition, some of those deployed are on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th deployment. In many cases, the deployment is involuntary and not knowing all of the information that will make the deployment less stressful creates a tremendous burden not only for the deploying service member but the family of that service member as well.
Deployment is much like a roller coaster ride at an amusement park. You first have the uncertainty of the entire event much like what you feel as you enter the gate to a roller coaster that you have never ridden before. You are unsure if you will make it. You may even attempt to get out of it at the very last minute. The roller coaster makes its climb and just as you begin the process of family planning and the actual deployment, you become anxious and nervous. After you’ve made it to the top of the roller coaster, you brace yourself for your quick decent, and at this point you realize there is no turning back. This is a similar feeling to what you may experience upon reaching your mobilization site but you brace yourself anyway and prepare for the many highs and lows this ride will offer.
One of the first things a service member should do prior to deployment is review and/or implement a current family care plan. Your family care plan should be reviewed certainly, if you are being deployed, but also at least once a year regardless of deployment status. It is said that “the strength of the Family is the strength of the Soldier is the strength of the Military is the strength of the Nation!” So it logically follows that caring and providing for the families of service member alleviates many of the stresses related to deployment and combat. This in turn leads to the strong national defense of the United States of America.
The very first responsibility of a service member scheduled for deployment is to inform the family and start making a plan. While I would not say it is easier deploying without having a family, it certainly is challenging if you are a deployed service member with a family. Regardless, if you have children or not, you should have some form of a Family Care Plan in place.
In my book, I go into great detail explaining what a Family Care Plan is and how to set up a good Family Care Plan.
So what happens when you receive your "orders" to go? Generally speaking your Unit, if you are deploying as a unit, will receive unit orders informing the Command that their unit will be deploying. If on the other hand you are an individual deployer as I was, you could receive your initial order via a phone call followed by orders requesting that you report for active duty. The amount of notice given to a service member ranges anywhere from several months in advance to only several days prior to the date ordered to active duty. I received my orders only three weeks before my scheduled day to report for duty.
There have been millions of Americans deployed to war zones around the world since this great country was founded over 230 years ago, however, recently it appears that many soldiers are deploying in greater frequency then ever before. In addition, some of those deployed are on their 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th deployment. In many cases, the deployment is involuntary and not knowing all of the information that will make the deployment less stressful creates a tremendous burden not only for the deploying service member but the family of that service member as well.
Deployment is much like a roller coaster ride at an amusement park. You first have the uncertainty of the entire event much like what you feel as you enter the gate to a roller coaster that you have never ridden before. You are unsure if you will make it. You may even attempt to get out of it at the very last minute. The roller coaster makes its climb and just as you begin the process of family planning and the actual deployment, you become anxious and nervous. After you’ve made it to the top of the roller coaster, you brace yourself for your quick decent, and at this point you realize there is no turning back. This is a similar feeling to what you may experience upon reaching your mobilization site but you brace yourself anyway and prepare for the many highs and lows this ride will offer.
One of the first things a service member should do prior to deployment is review and/or implement a current family care plan. Your family care plan should be reviewed certainly, if you are being deployed, but also at least once a year regardless of deployment status. It is said that “the strength of the Family is the strength of the Soldier is the strength of the Military is the strength of the Nation!” So it logically follows that caring and providing for the families of service member alleviates many of the stresses related to deployment and combat. This in turn leads to the strong national defense of the United States of America.
The very first responsibility of a service member scheduled for deployment is to inform the family and start making a plan. While I would not say it is easier deploying without having a family, it certainly is challenging if you are a deployed service member with a family. Regardless, if you have children or not, you should have some form of a Family Care Plan in place.
In my book, I go into great detail explaining what a Family Care Plan is and how to set up a good Family Care Plan.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Study: Soldiers use extreme methods to meet military weight rules
Soldiers are dangerously starving themselves, gobbling diet pills and laxatives — even resorting to costly liposuction surgery — all to meet the Army's weight standards and avoid losing their careers, according to military personnel who spoke to Army Times.
Health experts say the number of soldiers using extreme weight-loss methods may closely resemble results of a recent study by two officers attending the Naval Post Graduate School. The study found that nearly one in three Marines have gone to such measures to lose weight. The Army doesn't keep data on the likely numbers of soldiers taking these risks, but dozens of soldiers responded to a question from Army Times, many saying they use starvation, dehydration, pills or laxatives, and some have used — or are considering using — liposuction.
Additionally, more than a third of men in uniform do not meet height and weight standards, according to a separate 2009 report.
"Liposuction saved my career — laxatives and starvation before an (Army Physical Fitness Test) sustains my career," a soldier told Army Times in an e-mail. "I for one can attest that soldiers are using liposuction, laxatives and starvation to meet height and weight standards. I did, do and still do," wrote the soldier, a medium helicopter repairer.
"Six years ago, I spent $4,500 on liposuction while on (permanent change of station) leave. As a crewmember, our mission is to keep those aircraft in the air, and time for PT is not available," he wrote. "I was blessed with a very slow metabolism and an insatiable appetite."
Soldiers know they will face the dreaded "tape" if they exceed height/weight standards. The tape measurements are used to determine body fat percentage, with limits set by age group and gender.
Soldiers are afraid of those limits, knowing that if they cross that line they won't be promotable. Further, they cannot be assigned to leadership positions and they are not authorized to attend professional military schools. Their career is over if they don't make satisfactory weight loss in two months — typically six to 16 pounds.
The danger to careers is real.
About 24,000 soldiers were discharged between 1992 and 2007 for failure to comply with weight standards outlined in Army Regulation 600-9, according to the 2009 Military Services Fitness Database report, which was published in the journal Military Medicine. In comparison, the Army discharged less than a tenth of that number — 2,342 soldiers — for failing the physical fitness test between 1999 and 2007.
To save their careers, some soldiers turn to excessive, unnatural and unhealthy measures.
Extent of practice not known
With 35% of male soldiers failing the weight standards, and 6% of men and women exceeding body fat standards, according to the 2009 report, how many of them will turn to extreme solutions is hard to say, as empirical data on this practice does not exist — a fact bemoaned by the medical experts interviewed by Army Times.
"I don't think we have a clear understanding how widespread this problem is," said Col. George Dilly, Medical Command's chief dietician and a consultant to the Army surgeon general. "Soldiers are hiding the fact they are doing this because they don't want the problem exposed."
Dilly said the typical scenario is well known. As a soldier approaches his semi-annual weigh-in, he may use diuretics and laxatives to reduce fluid and lower his weight. But this can be a deadly decision, Dilly said, because it causes dehydration, and the loss of essential electrolytes can lead to cardiac arrest. Worse yet, this approach has no effect on the individual's body fat.
"This is not a long-term strategy," he said. "In fact, it's a very dangerous short-term strategy."
Second Lt. Lane Stover knows this all too well. The 5-foot-4-inch quartermaster said she went to extreme measures to keep the weight off.
"When I ate more than I thought I should, I would purge, and punish myself by heading to the gym or out on a late-night run," she said in an e-mail to Army Times. "I would often take laxatives, in excess of the prescribed amount, and knew exactly how long it would take for them to go into effect. It was a disgusting and dangerous practice that I thought would help me.
Stover said she entered therapy and went to support groups to fix her problem, but said one problem remains.
"My behaviors aren't the only problem. The Army's weight standard is," she said. "Until the Army takes a closer look at the weight regulations and methods for determining body fat, soldiers will resort to extreme measures to ensure they are within their weight requirements."
Alejandra Lewis said she had taken laxatives and starved herself "a couple of times" in preparation for the PT test. She said the problem was not her weight, but the way the Army measures body fat.
"Every person has a different shape of body; not everyone is the same," she wrote to Army Times. "When I joined the military I went down 80 pounds starving myself and (using) laxatives. I had to do it because even though I had met weight, I have thick thighs. The tape measure said I was over, so I had to lose even more weight just to meet the standards. They need to change it because it isn't fair."
The fact that soldiers are taking these steps is no secret in the cosmetic-surgery community.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Melissa Gash, based at Fort Riley, Kan., said she recently saw a poster for liposuction at the post gym.
"The bottom of the poster clearly states that advertisement does not mean endorsement, but the fact that material like that is even allowed on post, and more specifically where soldiers go to get fit, is inappropriate," she said. "It gives the soldier the false impression that liposuction should even be an option. Americans are all about fast results and immediate gratification. Whatever happened to working hard to accomplish a goal and feeling the satisfaction after earning what you set your sights on?"
But military health professionals say troops should not believe all the hype — and should be aware of the risks involved.
"We want soldiers to look right," said Dr. Thomas Williams, a retired colonel who heads the Army Physical Fitness Research Institute. "But they also need to feel right and perform right, and you can't get that from a pill or a procedure."
Reprinted from USAToday
By Lance M. Bacon, Army Times
Health experts say the number of soldiers using extreme weight-loss methods may closely resemble results of a recent study by two officers attending the Naval Post Graduate School. The study found that nearly one in three Marines have gone to such measures to lose weight. The Army doesn't keep data on the likely numbers of soldiers taking these risks, but dozens of soldiers responded to a question from Army Times, many saying they use starvation, dehydration, pills or laxatives, and some have used — or are considering using — liposuction.
Additionally, more than a third of men in uniform do not meet height and weight standards, according to a separate 2009 report.
"Liposuction saved my career — laxatives and starvation before an (Army Physical Fitness Test) sustains my career," a soldier told Army Times in an e-mail. "I for one can attest that soldiers are using liposuction, laxatives and starvation to meet height and weight standards. I did, do and still do," wrote the soldier, a medium helicopter repairer.
"Six years ago, I spent $4,500 on liposuction while on (permanent change of station) leave. As a crewmember, our mission is to keep those aircraft in the air, and time for PT is not available," he wrote. "I was blessed with a very slow metabolism and an insatiable appetite."
Soldiers know they will face the dreaded "tape" if they exceed height/weight standards. The tape measurements are used to determine body fat percentage, with limits set by age group and gender.
Soldiers are afraid of those limits, knowing that if they cross that line they won't be promotable. Further, they cannot be assigned to leadership positions and they are not authorized to attend professional military schools. Their career is over if they don't make satisfactory weight loss in two months — typically six to 16 pounds.
The danger to careers is real.
About 24,000 soldiers were discharged between 1992 and 2007 for failure to comply with weight standards outlined in Army Regulation 600-9, according to the 2009 Military Services Fitness Database report, which was published in the journal Military Medicine. In comparison, the Army discharged less than a tenth of that number — 2,342 soldiers — for failing the physical fitness test between 1999 and 2007.
To save their careers, some soldiers turn to excessive, unnatural and unhealthy measures.
Extent of practice not known
With 35% of male soldiers failing the weight standards, and 6% of men and women exceeding body fat standards, according to the 2009 report, how many of them will turn to extreme solutions is hard to say, as empirical data on this practice does not exist — a fact bemoaned by the medical experts interviewed by Army Times.
"I don't think we have a clear understanding how widespread this problem is," said Col. George Dilly, Medical Command's chief dietician and a consultant to the Army surgeon general. "Soldiers are hiding the fact they are doing this because they don't want the problem exposed."
Dilly said the typical scenario is well known. As a soldier approaches his semi-annual weigh-in, he may use diuretics and laxatives to reduce fluid and lower his weight. But this can be a deadly decision, Dilly said, because it causes dehydration, and the loss of essential electrolytes can lead to cardiac arrest. Worse yet, this approach has no effect on the individual's body fat.
"This is not a long-term strategy," he said. "In fact, it's a very dangerous short-term strategy."
Second Lt. Lane Stover knows this all too well. The 5-foot-4-inch quartermaster said she went to extreme measures to keep the weight off.
"When I ate more than I thought I should, I would purge, and punish myself by heading to the gym or out on a late-night run," she said in an e-mail to Army Times. "I would often take laxatives, in excess of the prescribed amount, and knew exactly how long it would take for them to go into effect. It was a disgusting and dangerous practice that I thought would help me.
Stover said she entered therapy and went to support groups to fix her problem, but said one problem remains.
"My behaviors aren't the only problem. The Army's weight standard is," she said. "Until the Army takes a closer look at the weight regulations and methods for determining body fat, soldiers will resort to extreme measures to ensure they are within their weight requirements."
Alejandra Lewis said she had taken laxatives and starved herself "a couple of times" in preparation for the PT test. She said the problem was not her weight, but the way the Army measures body fat.
"Every person has a different shape of body; not everyone is the same," she wrote to Army Times. "When I joined the military I went down 80 pounds starving myself and (using) laxatives. I had to do it because even though I had met weight, I have thick thighs. The tape measure said I was over, so I had to lose even more weight just to meet the standards. They need to change it because it isn't fair."
The fact that soldiers are taking these steps is no secret in the cosmetic-surgery community.
Chief Warrant Officer 2 Melissa Gash, based at Fort Riley, Kan., said she recently saw a poster for liposuction at the post gym.
"The bottom of the poster clearly states that advertisement does not mean endorsement, but the fact that material like that is even allowed on post, and more specifically where soldiers go to get fit, is inappropriate," she said. "It gives the soldier the false impression that liposuction should even be an option. Americans are all about fast results and immediate gratification. Whatever happened to working hard to accomplish a goal and feeling the satisfaction after earning what you set your sights on?"
But military health professionals say troops should not believe all the hype — and should be aware of the risks involved.
"We want soldiers to look right," said Dr. Thomas Williams, a retired colonel who heads the Army Physical Fitness Research Institute. "But they also need to feel right and perform right, and you can't get that from a pill or a procedure."
Reprinted from USAToday
By Lance M. Bacon, Army Times
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